Wire-support.



No. 770,999. I PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

G. P; BETTMANN &J. ZAPP.

'WIRE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED min a, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FREDRIOK BETTMANN AND JOHN ZAPP, OF NEW ALBANY,

INDIANA.

WIRE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,999, datedSeptember 27, 1904. Application filed July 3, 1903. Serial No. 164,222.(No model.)

" (LN whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES FREDRICK BETTMANN and JOHN ZArr, citizensof the United States, residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful ire-Support, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices for supporting electricalconductors, such as telephone, telegraph, and electric wires; and theobject is to provide an extremely simple article of this character thatwill constitute an efiicient support for the conductors without thenecessity of tying the same thereto. Said articles, moreover, constituteclutches which will automatically secure the wire should the same breakbetween adjacent poles or supports, thus preventing its falling to theground or the street and endangering the lives of passers-by.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure l is a side elevation of the preferred form of support, showingthe same applied to the crosstree of a pole. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevationof the head. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion ofthe support. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale,through a slightly-modified form of construction.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in the first four figures, aninsulator is employed, which may be formed of glass, porcelain, rubber,or other suitable material, said insulator being constructed to beinserted in an opening 11, formed in the usual crosstree 12 of a pole,though the device may be used in connection with other supports, as willbe apparent. This insulator 10 has an enlarged boss 13 at its upper end,the upper surface of said boss being rounded. The insulator,furthermore, is provided with a longitudinallydisposed bore 14, in whichis revolubly mounted the lower portion of a supporting-stem 15. Thisstem is provided with face of the boss 13.

an intermediate rounded cap 16, that rests upon and conforms to theshape of the upper The stem is secured against displacement by asuitable key 17, passed through its lower end, which end projects belowthe lower end of the insulator. It will be observed that the length ofthe key 1'7 is greater than the diameter of the insulator, and thusbears against the under face of the crosstree, consequently securing theentire structure in said tree. The upper end of the stem 15 has anoffset neck 18, carrying a wireengaging head. This head comprises anupright shank 19, secured between its ends to the end of the neck andhaving oppositelyeXtending beaks attached at its ends, said beaks beinglocated at an inclination to the shank 19 and having their freeterminals overlapped, but spaced slightly apart, as shown, to form acontracted entrance-throat 21. As a result of this particulararrangement a wirereceiving seat 22 is formed that tapers toward itslower end. The stem is secured in the crosstree of a pole, as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is thus freely revoluble. In stringing thewire it is only necessary to pass the same through the contractedentrance-throat 21 and stretch it, keeping the same out of the lower endof the seat. After being stretched the wire is allowed to drop into saidcontracted end and will thus be supported without being tied to thearticle. Should the wire break between two of the supports, however, thehead, being offset from the axis of rotation of the stem, will turnslightly and the wire will be clutched tightly in the seat. Thus theends will not slide through the supports and fall to the grou. fl.Decided advantages therefore are obtain 'd by the particular arrangementof the ele mentsnamely, the freely-revoluble spindle and the offset headwith its wire-receiving seat. Moreover, under ordinary conditions thewire cannot become detached, as it is out of alinement with the throat21, through which it is passed.

A slightly-modified form of construction is illustrated in Fig. 5,wherein a portion of the article is shown, the parts not illustratedbearing the same relation as those described. The stem is designated bythe referencenumeral and has a cap 16 thereon that corresponds to theshape of the insulator. Instead of a key for holding the spindle inplace, the lower end of said spindle is threaded, and a holding-nut 17is screwed thereon. The stem, cap, and portions of the nut may becoated, as shown at 23, with suitable insulation, though this is notentirely necessary.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparentltothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, pro- I portion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with aninsulator-supporting device, of a supporting -stem journaled and freelyrotatable in the supporting device, means for preventing thelongitudinal movement of the stem in either direction in the supportingdevice, and an offset head carried by the free end of the stem androtatable therewith, said head having a Wire-receiving seat that isofiset from the axis of rotation of the stem.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with asupporting-sleeve having an upright opening therethrough, of an uprightsupporting-stem passing through the opening and freely rotatable in thesleeve, means carried by the stem and engaging the upper and lower endsof the sleeve for preventing the disengagement of said stem from thesleeve, and an offset head carried by the free end of the stem androtatable therewith, said head having an inclosed wire-receiving seat,that is ofiset from the axis of rotation of the stem.

3. In a device of the class described, a stem, and a head carried by thestem, said head comprising a shank and oppositely-extending overlappingand outwardly-projecting beaks carried by the shank, said beaks beingspaced from an intermediate portion of one side of the shank and locatedat an inclination thereto, forming an inclosed tapering wire-receivingseat.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with aninsulator, of a stem journaled in the insulator and having acap coveringthe upper end thereof, said stem being also provided with an offsetneck, and a head comprising an upright shank connected between its endsto the neck and having oppositely-extending overlapped beaks forming awire-receiving seat.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of. two witnesses.

CHARLES FREDRICK BETTMANN. JOHN ZAPP.

IVitnesses:

WILLIAM ECKHART, DENIS GLEAsoN, Jr.

